Bravo can’t make Kandi Burruss do anything, especially when it comes to imbibing, she says.
The former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star appeared on Tamron Hall’s daytime talk show on Thursday, and sounded off on Leah McSweeney’s bombshell lawsuit in which she claimed the network preyed on her alcoholism.
Burruss prefaced her response by saying, “I don’t want to get too involved in their legal matters or whatever, but I have had — and I hope to continue — to have a good relationship with the network.”
She continued, “And the reason why I can vouch for how I feel… I’ve been on that show for 14 years, and nobody can make me do anything. So, people know I don’t do drugs, I’ve never been drunk in my life, and yes, I mean, some people ask for a little wine or a drink or whatever because that’s what they like.”
She added: “They like to have wine. They like to have drinks… that’s what they do when they want to have fun. Do I have drinks? No. So, the same way that I have a choice, they have a choice, too. Nobody is making you do anything.”
Page Six exclusively reported on McSweeney’s lawsuit earlier this week.
In the federal complaint, McSweeney described Bravo as “a workplace culture where toxicity, alcoholism and pain are not only expected but encouraged and facilitated.”
She further alleged that Bravo host Andy Cohen snorts cocaine with a few of his favorite “Housewives.” (A rep for Cohen responded, “The claims against Andy are completely false.”)
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Meanwhile, several Bravo stars have come to the “Watch What Happens Live” host’s defense.
“I’ve done WWHL about a dozen times and I must admit I’m jealous I was never offered anything stronger than a good wholesome time,” “Shahs of Sunset” alum Golnesa “GG” Gharachedaghi wrote on Page Six’s Instagram post about McSweeney’s claims.
“RHONY” star Luann de Lesseps also defended Cohen, whom she’s known for years, telling TMZ, “It’s not in his character. I never ever seen anything — in the years I’ve been doing the ‘Housewives’ — any drug abuse.”
She also agrees with Buruss. “You can’t force someone to drink something. You have to be the person that picks up a drink,” de Lesseps said.
